Thursday, December 2, 2010

on a very everyday afternoon a tiny little discard stepped into our lives … her eyes still seemed to contain within a glitter of hope … her tongue seemed eager to lap up any iota of warmth ... her yelp would greet any tiny crumb of love

and then she secured herself a niche deep within each one us here ... playing with us ... partying with us ... picnicking with us ... holidaying with us ... comfortable with whatever

she was omnipresent in every single aspect of our lives ... our ups & downs and ins & outs

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Pedro REGO (REGO NAYAK family from Derebail, Mangalore)Pedro was born about 1740 in Haloni, Goa. His child Mattheus (M) was born about 1765.

Second Generation Mattheus REGOMattheus married Esperanza RASQUINHA. Esperanza was born in 1775. Children from this marriage were: i. Lucas (M) was born about 1792. ii. Salvador (M) was born in 1793. iii. Pedro (M) was born about 1795 and died on Jul 12, 1856 about age 61. iv. Bonaventure Manuel (M) was born about 1800 and died on May 8, 1860 about age 60. v. Sebastian (M) was born about 1802. vi. Jose (M) was born about 1804 and died on Mar 2, 1858 about age 54. vii. Anna (F) was born about 1806 and died on Jan 8, 1888 about age 82. Anna married Jose CORDEIRO, son of Sebastian CORDEIRO and Pascoala SILVA. viii. Lucia (F) was born about 1808. Lucia married Antony Joseph D'MELLO. ix. Isabel (F) was born on Jul 4, 1813 and died on May 29, 1854 at age 40. x. Romano (F) was born about 1815 and died on May 29, 1854, age 39. Romano married Salvador PINTO, son of Joseph PINTO and Magdalen D'CUNHA

Third Generation Lucas REGOLucas married Francisca PINTO.Children from this marriage were: i. Lawrence (M) was born on Apr 30, 1817 and died on Sep 4, 1866 age 49. ii. Francis Xavier (M) was born on Nov 28, 1821. iii. Maria Conceicao (F) was born on Dec 5, 1824. Maria married Pedro PAIS, son of Francis PAIS and Simone BAPTIST. iv. Regina (F) was born on Jul 24, 1827 and died on Sep 12, 1889 age 62. Regina married Antony PINTO. v. Peter Joachim (M) was born on Feb 1, 1831

Fourth Generation Peter Joachim REGO was one of the founders of the Urva Church in 1866.Peter married Sabina D'SOUZA, daughter of Peter Cajetan D'SOUZA MUDARTH and Monica COELHO. Children from this marriage were: i. Sr Mary Agnes (F) born on Jan 18, 1860 and died in 1943 at age 83. Another name for Mary was Sr. Agnes Regina REGO. ii. Sr Stephana Isabella Maria (F) was born on Aug 5, 1862. iii. Pepin Francis Lucas (M) was born on Feb 21, 1865. iv. Lawrence Philip (M) was born on Jul 10, 1868 and died in 1868. v. Lawrence (M) was born on Jan 19, 1870. vi. Victor Angelo (M) was born on Mar 10, 1871. vii. Eustace Lawrence (M) was born on Sep 20, 1873. viii. Joseph Pius (M) was born on May 14, 1877. ix. Clement Marian Dominic (M) was born on Feb 8, 1881. x. Bruno Canute (M) was born on Oct 16, 1882

Fifth Generation Victor Angelo REGO was GURKAR of Derebail. Victor married Martha Maria CORREA, daughter of Francis CORREA and Joanna ALVARES. Children from this marriage were: i. Joachim (M) was born in 1896 and died on Dec 24, 1915 age 19. ii. Peter Paul (M) was born on Jun 13, 1900. iii. Antonia Cecilia (F) was born on May 10, 1902. iv. Leo Felix Bernard (M) was born on Jun 28, 1903 and died in 1921 age 18. v. Stephanie Isabella Maria (F) was born on Sep 21, 1905. vi. Alexander Theodore (M) was born on Nov 9, 1907. vii. Robert Marcel Philip (M) was born on Jan 31, 1910 and died on May 19, 1978 age 68. viii. Dionysius Camillo Damian (M) was born on Sep 27, 1911. ix. Benedicta Domitilla (F) was born on May 7, 1913. x. Lucia Carolina (F) xi. Boniface Joachim (M) was born on May 14, 1918.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

A little girl is on her knees scooping and packing the sand with plastic shovels into a bright blue bucket. Then she upends the bucket on the surface and lifts it. And, to the delight of the little architect, a castle tower is created.

All afternoon she will work. Spooning out the moat. Packing the walls. Bottle tops will be sentries. Popsicle sticks will be bridges. A sandcastle will be built.

Big city. Busy streets. Rumbling traffic.

A man is in his office. At his desk he shuffles papers into stacks and delegates assignments. He cradles the phone on his shoulder and punches the keyboard with his fingers. Numbers are juggled and contracts are signed and much to the delight of the man, a profit is made.

All his life he will work. Formulating the plans. Forecasting the future. Annuities will be sentries. Capital gains will be bridges. An empire will be built.

Two builders of two castles. They have much in common. They shape granules into grandeurs. They see nothing and make something. They are diligent and determined. And for both the tide will rise and the end will come.

Yet that is where the similarities cease. For the girl sees the end while the man ignores it.

Watch the child as the dusk approaches.

As the waves near, the wise child jumps to her feet and begins to clap. There is no sorrow. No fear. No regret. She knew this would happen. She is not surprised. And when the great breaker crashes into his castle and her masterpiece is sucked into the sea, she smiles. Utterly delighted, she picks up her tools, takes her father's hand, and goes home.

The grownup, however, is not so wise.

As the wave of years collapses on his castle he is terrified. He hovers over the sandy monument to protect it. He blocks the waves from the walls he has made. Salt-water soaked and shivering he snarls at the incoming tide. "It's my castle," he defies. The ocean need not respond ... both know to whom the sand belongs.

I don't know much about sandcastles. ... but children do. Watch them and learn. Go ahead and build ... but build with a child's heart.

When the sun sets and the tides take ... applaud. Salute the process of life and go home.

Monday, August 30, 2010

When it rains, it pours ... Quite literally so it was at the CLEAN SPORTS INDIA "Awareness Rally" in Mumbai this morning in terms of sports glamour, participation as well as the heavens above.

As thespian Tom Alter introduced one participating star after another from our nation's sporting firmament, it was clear to the 350 odd participants who braved the inclement weather that CLEAN SPORTS INDIA's Mumbai Chapter meant serious business.

In his inaugural address, CLEAN SPORTS INDIA National Convener, BVP Rao came out strongly against the face of Indian Sport turned tyrant, Suresh Kalmadi and his coterie, whose negative doings in Indian Sport called for a total re-haul of the system, wherein Sportspersons of caliber needed to take charge, they being closer to the pulse of our budding young sportspeople. After very encouraging launches of the CLEAN SPORTS movement in Delhi and Bangalore, the response in Mumbai, he said was over-whelming.

The Awareness Rally witnessed representation from across Mumbai, allowing for participation from all age groups. Vandana Rao and Pravin Thipsay led the 350+ strong group across 4 kms to and fro NCPA, all enthusiastic in their bid to drive home a point for Sports cleansed of political manipulation and rid of performance enhancing substance abuse. The Mumbai Chapter team, Vandana Rao, Tom Alter, Pravin Thipsay, Sybil Miranda, Lenny Sampey and myself are glad that the first step towards this goal had been successfully taken and we are sure that the positive vibes we have received throughout the mega polis of Mumbai will not let things lie, but take them to their logical end. Thanks to all whose efforts encouraged us and especially to the YMCA International for all their unstinting support.

Friday, June 25, 2010

The baby is teething, the children are fighting, and you just have to get dinner ready. Okay. One of these days you'll shout, "Why don't you grow up amd act your age?" ... and they willOr ... "You guys get outside and find yourself something to do and don't slam the door." ... and they won't

You'll straighten up their bedrooms all neat and tidy with thrash discarded, bed-spread tucked and smoothed, toys all displayed on the shelves, books in place, hangers in the closets, animals caged, and you'll say out loud, "Now I want you to stay this way!" ... they will

Then you'll prepare a perfect dinner with a proper wholesome side dish, salad that hasn't been picked to death, a cake with no finger traces through the frosting, and you'll say, "Now there's a meal for company." ... you'll eat it aloneAnd you'll say, ... "I want complete privacy on the phone! No dancing around, no pantomimes, no demolition crews! Silence! Do you hear me?" ... you'll have it

No more plastic tablecloths stained with curry, no more anxious nights tending to viral fevers, no more dandelion bouquets, no more iron-on patches, no more wet-knotted shoe strings, no more tight boots, or rubber bands on pony tails.

Now, imagine your lipstick with a point. No baby sitter on nights out. Washing clothes only once a week. No PTA meetings, no car pools, no blaring music and parties, having your own space, no more Christmas presents made out of bits of scrap and paste, no more wet kisses, no tooth fairy, no giggles in the dark, no knees to bandage. Only a memory of a voice crying ... "Why don't you grow up?"

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

History records
the first known settlement in the area as far back as 600BC. Part of Ashoka’s
empire three hundred years later, the place came under the hindu Silhara
dynasty from 900 to 1300AD.

The Portuguese, in 1534, took possession of the seven islands of Bombay by force from the
Sultans of Gujarat who had made it part of their
sultanate since 1343. In 1543 they gave the Jesuits the sole ownership of
Bandra, a tiny fishing village inhabited by Koli fishermen and farmers.

Tradition has it that Bandra was originally known as Vandra or Ape, the home of
monkeys, then Bandor as the Portuguese called it in 1505, later Bandera,
Bandura, Bandore, Pandara, Bandorah, Bandara and finally Bandra, a railway sign
board finalised it at the end of the last century. There are other views on the
origin of the name, one stating that it is derived from a Portuguese princess
and another more plausible one that it is a corruption of Bandar-gah in Persian
(Bandar is a common word for Port in Iran). Vandre in Marathi and Bandar in
Persian both mean port and come from the same Sanskrit root word. It is
referred to as "Bandora" as seen on gravestones in the cemetery of St
Andrew church.

Reports on the
exact date vary, but either in 1570 or 1620 the Jesuits built a church and a
college in Bandra under the invocation of Santa Anna (St Anne) on very
extensive grounds. Judging from the remains of foundations of old walls the
enclosure extended from the point near Mahim Causeway where now stands a
mosque, ran along the seashore as far as the end of what was Bundarwadi, took a
northerly turn across Godhbundar road (now Swami Vivekananda road) as far as
D’Monte street and then went diagonally straight to the present Bandra railway
station, thus enclosing Bundarwadi, Madamwadi, Dadaboiwadi, a part of Hill road
and the whole of the Bombay municipal slaughter house (now BEST depot)
compound. The chapel and college of St Anne commanded the
frontage of the creek, almost facing St Michael church at Mahim.

In 1640 the
Portuguese built Castella de Aguada (Fort of the Waterpoint) at Land's End, a
strategically located watchtower overlooking the Mahim Bay and the islands of
Worli to the south, the Arabian Sea to the west and the northern sea route into
Mumbai habour, a large estuary, which was later reclaimed from the sea in the
nineteenth century. During the Portuguese rule, it was armed with seven cannons
and other smaller guns as defense. A freshwater spring in the vicinity supplied
potable water to passing ships, thus lending the fort its name. After the
decline of the Portuguese in the early 18th century, the British partially
demolished the fort as a precautionary measure against the Marathas sensing an
impending threat to their possessions.

When King
Charles married Catherina of Portugal in 1661, Bombay was given to England as part of
her dowry. Salcette was not part of this treaty and remained with the
Portuguese. In 1739 the island was invaded by the Marathas; it was ruled by
them until 1774 when Bandra was regained when the Portuguese troops were aided
by the English during the First Anglo-Maratha War and a slaughterhouse was
built on the same spot of victory and assigned to the Dakhni Muslims to
operate.

In 1830, the
British donated large parts of SalcetteIsland, including Land's End, to Byramjee Jeejeebhoy, a
Parsi philanthropist. Jeejeeboy then established his residence on the hill
where the fort is located, and the cape was renamed Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Point.

The chapel of MountMary was built
around 1640 at the top of the hill at Bandra’s southern tip. Tradition has it
that it was destroyed in 1738 during a Maratha raid. The statue of the Virgin
Mary was recovered from the sea by fishermen and temporarily installed in St
Andrew church, before being shifted to the rebuilt Mount Mary church in 1761,
that year marking the beginning of Bandra feast, an eight day celebration in
the Blessed Virgin’s honour, starting on the Sunday following her birthday on
September 8. To this day the celebration continues and the statue is venerated
by pilgrims from far and near and many miracles are attributed to the Virgin
Mary by all communities. The architect of MountMary's church was Bombay’s Shahpoorjee
Chandabhoy, the first time ever a non catholic was assigned to a catholic
monument. It was built to serve the garrison posted at Castella de Aguada. In
1879, Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy constructed a flight of steps from foot of Mt Mary
hill to north side of church known as the Degrados de Bomanjee (steps of
Bomanjee). The Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount as it stands today was built
in 1904 at a cost of a lakh of rupees.

The Kunbi farmers founded St Andrew Church in 1733, which has the distinctive
Portuguese-style façade. The wall enclosing the compound of St Andrew Church
was built by a Parsi, Manockjee Sorabjee Ashburner in 1862 as is recorded on a
slab on the main gate of the enclosure. The Portuguese built several churches
in Bandra facilitating its unique distinction of being a town having the most
Roman Catholic churches anywhere in the world, all within a four sq/km area;
six churches each with their own parishes, and the Basilica of Our Lady of the
Mount. The churches beside the Basilica, St Anne and St Andrew are St Peter
(1853), Our Lady of Mount Carmel (1890), St Theresa (1948), and St Francis of
Assisi.

Bandra has over a hundred and fifty crosses at various places, many built to
ward off the decade long plague epidemic that struck between 1896 and 1906. The
oldest cross is the one relocated in St Andrew church compound. It was
originally at St Anne but when the building was blown up on the orders of the
English to prevent it falling into Maratha hands in the year 1737, the cross,
its only original remnant, was relocated. It stands 17ft high and is carved out
of a single stone, on its surface thirty-nine emblems of the passion of Jesus
Christ.

Bandra remained a village with plantations of rice and vegetables separated
from the industrial town of Bombay by a tidal creek
which Portuguese called Bandora and the English changed to Mahim creek.
Crossing this creek was by ferry until, after many boats capsized, a causeway
was built by Lady Jamsethji in 1843 at a cost of a little over a lakh and a
half rupees. It was designed by Lt Crawford and opened to public in 1845.

The first school founded in Bandra after Bombay passed on to the English was
St. Andrew’s Parish School started by the Vicar, Fr Francisco de Mello in 1780,
to teach Catechism to the children of the parish. This later became St Andrew
High School.

St Stanislaus
High School, started in 1863 as an orphanage for native boys by the Jesuits of
St Peter’s church, became a high school in 1923. It was first English medium
school in the suburbs and maintains its status as a premier educational
institution to date as it approaches its sesquicentennial.

In 1863, the first four F.C. (Daughters of the Cross) sisters came to Bandora
(Bandra) and started a day school for village children, that eventually evolved
into St
JosephConventHigh School in 1868.

The first railway service, the Bombay Baroda Central Indian Railway (BBCIR) was
inaugurated on April 12th 1867 with one train per day between Virar and Bombay,
Six years later the frequency was increased to 24 and today over 900 trains stop
at Bandra each day. A handful of Bandra’s residents had motor vehicles; the
other’s just walked to the railway station. Till as late as the 1930's Bandra
had only one bus service from Pali naka down to Hill road to the Railway
station.

There was a section of Muslims in the eastern part of Bandra, presently across
the railway lines, called Navpada (Naupada) previously known as Naopara. These
Kokani Sunni Musalmans or Konkani Muslims, all Hanafi, had migrated from inner
parts of Thane district like Vasai, Nalasopara, Bhiwandi and Rabodi. Nine
prominent Kokni Muslim families inhabited here, so it was named as Nav (meaning
nine in Marathi) and Pada (meaning village). They built the Kokani masjid
(Konkani mosque), and a cemetery and lakes, which can be traced back more than
300 years. The inhabitants of this area mainly ran cotton hand looms. By the
introduction of power looms in Bombay city, this industry
died and they started the milk business. With the introduction of the railway
line the area was divided as Navpada East and Navpada West. A major part of
lands of this area were acquired by the Railways, where today Bandra Station,
Bandra Terminus (earlier Bandra marshalling yard) and the railway lines exist.
The present lake called Bandra Talao or Lotus Tank formerly known as Motha
Reservoir was one of the properties of these Kokani Muslims, which was later
acquired by the Municipal Corporation for maintenance.

Along with MountMary hill, Bandra is
home to Pali hill. Although many bungalows were built in Bandra during the boom
years of the 1860s and 70s, this fashionable area, now inhabited by the
glitterati, saw the first constructions only in the 1880s. A 18 hole golf
course called Danda Green with an English style club house, all ensconced in
lush greenery, sat on the top of this hill with membership reserved for the
British who lived on the hill. Each cottage on the hill had a stable for horses
owned by its occupants.

The Tata Agiary on Hill Rd was built by
Tata in memory of his wife in 1884.

The English found in this newly acquired territory of Salcette thousands of
Indian families who were converted to Christianity. Christians in Bandra were
mostly of the Koli and Bhandari castes, originally from Bombay Salcette, Bassein,
and Thana, as well as Kunbi
farmers who migrated to the island from Colaba, because the ban on the fish
manure they used. It was from these families the English drew their supplies of
clerks, assistants and secretaries; at that time there was hardly a Hindu Koli,
Parsi or Muslim, the other communities who peopled Bandra, who could read Roman
characters. There was also a large influx of Christians from Goa, Mangalore and its Carnatac
environs and Kerala. Many native elders worked for the British East India
Company and this prompted local converts to adopt the misnomer 'East Indians'
and form the East Indian Association on May 26th 1887 to distinguish the 'sons
of the soil', who were the first employees of the company, from Christians who
came from further down the west coast and shared the same names and religion,
as well as vied for the same jobs. The East Indian Association runs the fabled
Bandra Gymkhana to date, primary membership still reserved for East Indians.

Bandra consisted of villages Sherly, Malla, Rajan, Kantwadi, Waroda, Ranwar,
Boran, Pali, Chuim and Chimbai. Ranwar had a tennis court and the famed Ranwar
Club was popular for Christmas and New Year Eve dances. Supari Talao, Bandra’s
signature sports venue, actually had a ‘talao’ on its eastern half, and was
home to American troops during World War II, who stole the hearts of the local
children by sharing their rations with them on their way to school.

Each of the two waterfronts that embrace Bandra have had their own unique place
in the lives of their inhabitants. The bay strewn with rocks and sand facing
the causeway to Mahim and the city was the source of livelihood to a large
fishing community of Kolis as well as a unique experience for us growing up
there, witnesses to its monsoon fury as well as its tranquil calm, home to a
wide variety of aquatic life. Each rock cluster was given a different name
according to the purpose it served. The paddle boats, the walls of fishing nets
and damns of rocks (kalwa) were a treat that still endures. The tireless fisher
folk were a source of enlightenment, their camaraderie, discipline and hard
work that went into bringing each fresh catch and themselves safely back home.
Then in the mid 1960’s with grandiose plans in the name of ‘progress’, a major
portion of the bay was reclaimed (hence Bandra Reclamation), and the local
Kolis forever lost their paradise. This bay was lipped with cottages and
buildings built in the 1940’s and 50’s with relevant names. Wavelash, where I
have resided for my 50 odd years, as well as all the other structures here had
their sea fronts lashed by waves twice each day. All of these structures were
in large compounds where we as children would spend the whole day, each
different group at their own game. St John the Baptist road
running along these compounds leads to the steps upto MountMary Basilica.
Folklore has it that in times before the 1950’s pilgrims would traverse this
stretch in processions with fire torches and beating drums to ward of tigers
and other wild animals that the lush forests in the vicinity were home to. The
other waterfront has three distinct stretches, one from Band Stand along BJ
road to St Andrew's church, the second skirting Chimbai fishing village, and
the third, laced with lush mangroves, runs along Carter road to Danda fishing
village. Chimbai and Danda are where the last few Kolis of Bandra still manage
to eke out a living from their catch at sea. Among the waterfronts Band Stand
stood tall, catering to myriad visitors, especially families, all through the
week and more so at week ends, when in the days of yore a band actually took
the stand, regaling a sizable audience.

Godbundar road, Bazaar road, Hill road, Pali road and BJ road are the five
oldest roads in Bandra. Godbundar road originally ran from Mahim causeway,
skirted Bazaar road, went around the Bandra talao and continued on to
Godbundar. It was later made straight by cutting through the talao. Bazaar road
began at Godbundar road, opposite the mosque and ran through the market keeping
close to the coast, now the Bandra Reclamation. Its two kilometre stretch is
home to a Jain temple, a Ram mandir, a Hanuman temple, a Khoja mosque, a
Catholic chapel and a Sikh gurduwara. Hill Road starting from Bandra railway
station went through middle of Bandra town, past St Andrew church to terminate
at the foot of the MountMary hill. Pali road
began at St Peter church, cut through Pali village and continued on till Danda.
Byramjee Jeejebhoy road started from St Andrew church and went on to Land's End. It was built by Jeejebhoy and
opened to public in 1878. Many roads in Bandra like Perry, Carter, Bullock,
Kane and Bates were named after British collectors and magistrates.

The families of Bandra’s yesteryears were large and traditions handed down from
generations were faithfully adhered to ... many still are. Marriages were an
eight day celebration; from Thursday to Thursday for a Sunday wedding. The
whole village was invited to celebrate along with the extended families and no
one was excused for not being there. Thursday was pig slaughter day. Friday was
to make papads to go down with the locally brewed spirit. On Saturday ‘fugias’
and ‘varias’ were prepared and water was drawn from the village well to bathe
the bride and groom ... a tradition called ‘paani’ followed by East Indians to
date. Sunday was the nuptial Mass followed by a grand reception with a
sumptuous menu laced with ‘kimaat’, a concoction of the same locally brewed
spirits and selected condiments. Monday was the day of rest when the remaining
food was finished. Tuesday was time for ‘pos’, when the feet of the guests were
washed in exchange for cash. There was a farewell dinner on Wednesday and the
guests left on Thursday by which time ‘honeymoon’ for the bridal couple was
supposedly over.

Did that
honeymoon ever end? ... it never really did ... i know for sure

... it's the
Bandra we love!

(with inputs from my 'good old Bandra' friends as well as some new
ones, documented history and info available online)